"Very elegant and refined in texture, with fresh, focused acidity finding fine integration with the layered notes of patisserie apple, black currant, smoky mineral and biscuit, complimented by hints of lemon zest and honey. Lingering finish. Drink now through 2020...93." WS 12/12
"Richness is all in the latest release of Special Cuvee, a complex and supple blend based on red grapes (60 percent pinot noir and 15 percent meunier with the balance in chardonnay). Structured by reserve wines aged in magnum bottles, this wine's texture unfolds with laers of flavor, from subtle Marcona almond to dark-toned apricot and brighter lemon. It's creamy, satured and delicious, balanced for current durinking and built to age...92" Wine and Spirits 12/11
"This note hails from a sample of the most current release here in the US, which I tasted this month here in New York. This is a lovely and classy wine that is more minerally and less overtly “toasty” than was the case with this bottling a generation ago, but equally fine. The nose is deep and complex, offering up a lovely blend of apple, orange peel, warm bread, a bit of caraway seed, complex soil tones and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is focused, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with crisp acids, very refined mousse, excellent grip and balance and a very long and youthfully classy finish. This is a lovely bottle that is already quite tasty, but may yet develop more of the old school Bollinger “toastiness” with further bottle age....91+" JG 08/12
"An expressive and attractively layered nose offers up notes of brioche, yeast and baked apple scents. Much like the Brut Rosé the effervescence is prominent to the point of being foamy yet it is not aggressive as the bead is quite fine on the moderately complex, round and delicious flavors that deliver fine if not truly exceptional persistence on the intensely yeasty finish....90" BH 10/12
"There is a cross-over in the marketplace, this wine presented in the new Bollinger bottle with its slender neck (previously shipped wines will have the conventional shape). In typical Bollinger fashion, it is an immensely complex blend with 55% reserve wines stored in magnums for up to 15 years. It initially seems to be a sibling of Krug with its spice and almond biscuit bouquet, but then fines out and lengthens on the supple palate. Great overall mouthfeel, and an even better aftertaste...95" AWC 11/12